Molly's Game Review

R: for language, drug content and some violence

STX Films, H Brothers

2 Hrs and 20 Minutes

Written and Directed By Aaron Sorkin

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp

INTRO: When it comes to film, Aaron Sorkin has been one of my favorite screenwriters working today. I love “Moneyball,” “The Social Network,” and “Steve Jobs,” solely for the screenplays that both entertained and informed the audience about the world around the characters we are introduced to. So when it was announced that Sorkin was going to write AND DIRECT a movie, I was pretty excited. I didn’t care what the subject matter was on, all I cared for was Aaron Sorkin. Then I saw “Molly’s Game.”

The true story of Molly Bloom, a young woman who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game in Los Angeles and New York City for nearly a decade before being arrested by the FBI. Her players included Hollywood celebrities, athletes, business titans and the Russian mob. With the help of her lawyer, Molly must clear her name and show that her games were not illegal.

THE GOOD

THE WORLD DIDN’T HAVE A BLOOMING CHANCE

You know how Beyonce said a diva is a female version of a hustler? Well Molly Bloom may the perfect replacement for the word diva because she is the overall definition of a hustler. I love this character and her determination to never take the L. 

How to write a strong female protagonist? This is how you do it. Sorkin’s interpretation of Molly Bloom is terrific due to the fact that she is a woman who does her hustle in her way and gets the same treatment as any other person would. Her primary focus is getting money and look good while doing it. This woman is the Moana of Poker because she tests how far she goes with her hustle, and also SHE DON’T NEED NO MAN! This is a flawed character who makes a ton of mistakes, but one of Bloom’s strengths is that she learns from it. The world can throw a tornado at her, and she would still get back up and perceiver.

What I love about this the most is that its Jessica Chastain who is portraying Bloom. No, they don’t have the same facial similarities, but they have the equal skill of being badass bosses. Chastain has proved time and time again that she can hold down a movie by being strong, confident,  fierce, controlling, and independent. Her screen presence just radiates whenever she is in a role such as this where she plays a woman who consistently tests the limits of her own power in intense situations. Just like her characters in “Miss Sloane” and “Zero Dark Thirty” she is knowledgeable about her about her craft as she uses her brain to her advantage. What I love about Bloom is that as much as she suckers people to play at her expense, she manages to be a decent being while men desire her because of her power. If you say, I’m in lu—, she will cut you off, tell you to sit down and play poker, and walk away while doing this:

Another thing we can admire about Bloom is her struggle to get on top no matter what. She is an overachiever and doesn’t hide from it. If anything about her game s exposed, she uses the power of bullshitting to cover herself up. You can’t help but love the methods she uses to maintain her table.

Also, this has to be the first time, I am astounded by a character’s wardrobe because in nearly every scene Chastain is in a new dress that she both looks stunning in and God I love her wardrobe. The film so many scenes of Chastain in new pieces of clothing that it the majority of the time you’re thinking Wow where did she get that dress? I hope Jessica got to keep some of the dresses from the movie because Jesus that would be great.

Another great thing about this movie is Idris Elba who gives a great “Oscar bait” performance. Whenever Idris Elba is in the picture in the trial storyline that features him as Molly’s lawyer, he’s great. As much this Chastain’s vehicle there are moments where he steals the show. There is a scene where Elba goes off with a speech that has Sorkin’s script at its very best. The back and forth chemistry Chastain has Elba is great especially when they argue next to me. There is not enough Idris Elba in the movie because he is a commanding force of nature.

THE BAD

While Jessica Chastain’s performance holds the film up, Aaron Sorkin’s grasp on this story drags the film all the way down. I’ve never seen a movie so self-indulgent with trying to sound smart in my entire life until this. My dad has one rule when he watches a movie, and that doesn’t have a very detailed screenplay when you have an exciting plot because he will come out saying, “There was too much talking. Everyone talked too much.”

Granted I love films like that, but “Molly’s Game” has to be the first time I understood what he was talking about because this movie has waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much talking. As his first directorial debut Sorkin does a Stellar job getting great performances out of his cast, but in the writing department, the film is way too damn blabber. You have a film displayed on the screen but this a goddamn audiobook read by Jessica Chastain because the majority nearly every second of this two hour and twenty-minute movie is nothing but non-stop narration from beginning to end. It is more insufferable than Bella from “Twilight.”

The film is pretty much Aaron Sorkin “Poker for Dummies” in the form of a biopic, but never has a distinct focus on the game of poker for a lot of the dialogue tries to be so intricate with details that don’t matter. I can take a two-hour movie based on a novel, but I’m sorry Aaron Sorkin nobody wants to see a film based on a book has non stop narration. We came for a movie, not a goddamn visual audiobook.

Sorkin sets up his story in a very disjointed timeline where he displays points in her life before illegal gambling. The film tries to put a “Tree of Life” spin with Bloom as we shift back and forth with her life which would be fine if it weren’t for the fact that Sorkin uses so many unnecessary detailed narrations to justify its presence. In actuality makes the story much more jumbled than it is. There isn’t a moment of narration, you finally have air to breathe. When its there, you feel so suffocated because the way Sorkin has information thrown at the audience consistently. Watching this movie is the equivalent to talking to a guy at a party and allowing him to go tangent and then transitions that topic to something else that leads to another tangent and you won’t have a say in the conversation at all. Like to the extent that I nearly got a migraine.

There are three layers to Molly’s story:

• Molly’s Childhood
• Molly’s Hustle
• Molly’s Trial

The best thing that keeps the story afloat is Molly and her character. Out of the three stories, Molly’s hustle isn't just the most engaging/entertaining but its the main of any substance. If the film focused on at least two timelines and cut out everything that transitions back to Molly’s childhood ever so often, the film would've been tighter as a story especially with its lengthy running time. The only reason the younger Molly story exists is because of two things: a sake for a symbolic metaphor and a reason to have Kevin Costner to be onscreen.

Sometimes Molly talks so fast, she introduces random characters that lead to more narration more narration, and it can quickly come in. You have Chris O’ Dowd and Joe Keery appearing here as people who lose the game and have to owe Molly money, and that wraps up reeeaaallly quickly.  Yeah, Steve Harrington of Stranger Things is in this movie, and he is in it for a matter of three minutes top.

LAST STATEMENT

If you like 142 min of Aaron Sorkin indulgent dialogue including constant narration of every intricate detail of the most unnecessary information presented to you then yeah "Molly's Game" okay.

Rating: 2.5/5 | 54%

Super Scene: Molly sets Steve Harrington in his place | Charlie Jaffey goes off.